What is a PICO(T) Question?

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a systematic approach to patient care decision-making based on current, best available research evidence.

The first step in EBP involves re-phrasing a clinical patient care issue in the form of a focused, searchable, and answerable question.

PICO(T) is a template for creating a well-built clinical question for evidence-based inquiry.

P – Patient/Population/Problem

I – Intervention/Variable of Interest

C – Comparison (“standard care” or “usual care”)

O – Outcome(s)

T – Time

In _____ (P), what is the effect of _____ (I), compared with _____ (C), on _____ (O) within _____ (T)?